coursing

A blood sport involving greyhounds, which seek out their prey by sight and not scent. The dogs pursue in pairs, as opposed to being in packs, and the performance of one dog against another is judged. The most popular coursing event is the Waterloo Cup at Altcar, near Formby, Merseyside. First held in 1836, it takes its name from the nearby Waterloo Hotel.

Animals coursed include hares, rabbits, foxes, deer of all sorts, antelope, gazelle, jackals, wolves.

The competitive version was developed when the first set of English rules for hare coursing was drawn up in the reign of Elizabeth I. The object is to test the dog, not to kill the hare, and today in Ireland (but not in Great Britain or America) the dogs are muzzled. Muzzling allows a few hares to escape that might otherwise have been caught, but many that are not able to elude the hounds are battered and severely injured by the hounds in their frenzy. It is generally more humane to increase the law (headstart distance) given the hare to minimize the chances of a catch. In this way it is only a very slow or poor hare that is ever caught, leaving the best hares to breed and multiply. The very best mid-winter hares in America (jackrabbits) are simply uncatchable by even the best hounds, the hare increasing its lead with every bound from the start.

The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act and the Hunting Act 2004 (in England and Wales) made it illegal to course hares under any circumstances or to course rabbits without the landowner's permission.